Click the play button above to hear the new show.  In this episode we cover hot dog condiments.  Below is a list of the show notes in case you want to jump to a certain spot.

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Condiments

• Welcome folks, I'm Ben and you're listening to Hot dog vendor radio! In an effort to provide the best information to help you get started or to take your hot dog vending business to the next level, I am going to be offering these short and sweet, single topic episodes. They will as always be free and will be available on the LearnHotDogs.com site and downloadable from iTunes, Zune and Blackberry.
• Please feel free to call the listener feedback line at 615.296.0384 and leave a comment or ask a question. I may then use your question in an upcoming episode of Hot Dog Vendor Radio. That number again is 615.296.0384
• In this episode I will be discussing condiments and how to figure out which ones to use.
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• Condiments, ya just got to have them. Some vendors only carry a few, but if you are going to stand out, you need to have some great fix ins. The three most common and probably most important, if you never offer any others are; Ketchup, Mustard and Relish
• Plain Dogs (kids and pets)
• Let's go bigger, let's talk about that second tier of condiment offerings. Chili, cheese, sourkraut, bacon, bacon bits, onions – fresh and cooked, maybe even try the coke a cola ones, hot sauce, jalepenos, pickles, cucumbers, mushrooms, onion crunch, tomatoes, peppers, cream cheese and the list goes on and on and on.
• I can't begin to imagine a vendor trying to offer all these but the fact is; you will want to offer more than just the plain 3.
• Now we need to discuss some things to consider first.
  • Which condiments are you going to offer
  • Storage
    • Do you have room to add more condiments?
    • Do you need to purchase more utensils, another cooler, containers and a serving caddy?
    • Does it add to your other required items, like ice. Of course you'll probably need more ice or ice packs.
  • Prep work
    • Do these new condiments require more prep work?
    • Will I have to cut onions or precook down sauces?
    • How much longer will this add to my setup and clean up?
    • Can I purchase in bulk already prepared?
  • Overall costs
    • How much do these items cost?
    • Can I get them in bulk?
    • Do I raise my prices or not?
    • Do I charge for these add-on condiments separately?
• Now that we have considered our options, let's figure out the best way to test this out.
  • Is there a demand
    • Let's say you have been out working your cart for awhile just using the basic must have condiments. Requests?
    • How to test the demand… We'll cover that in a minute.
    • Give it a little time
    • Record keeping
  • Buy in small quantities from a local grocery store at first.
  • Add it to your menu for two weeks
  • Take good notes, sometimes it can feel like you sold more than you did
  • Keep up with how much you throw away. Did you buy 5 lbs of tomatoes and end up throwing away 3 lbs. ?
  • Ask for customer feedback
  • Promote it with signs and mention it to customers, “have you ever tried my TN Tornado Dog?”
  • Slow days don't count
• What are some of your alternatives?
  • 9 flavors of mustard
  • What about the simple add ons, cotton candy, lemonade, although not condiments…
  • Could it be what sets you apart and carves your niche?
  • Keep and open mind, your favorite may not be what your crowd wants.
  • In an upcoming episode I will discuss some money making, no work to very little work involved cart add ons that could double your current income.
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• Well that's it folks, that should help you determine which condiments to carry. Remember, what is working here, may not work there, Consider it all as a work in progress.
• One tip before I go: If you are going to offer several condiments, do it right, keep the area clean and wiped down. You've been to those… Use a condiment caddy, we have them on our store with the pro pack, but you can find just the caddy on Ebay or google condiment caddy. They come in plastic and stainless steel and both look great. Some even allow you to store icepacks underneath to keep the condiments cold. Check out some bar supply stores online too. They have some awesome tiered caddies.
• Don't forget to submit your questions or comments on the listener feedback line. You will make my day and I'd love to hear from you. Call Me Now at 615.296.0384
• Have a fantastic day and I wish you much success.
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